The family of James Gandolfini have angrily denied claims that his death from
a heart attack was brought on by a lavish, over-indulgent last supper in
Rome.

Tabloid newspapers in the US claimed on Friday that the 51-year-old star of The Sopranos had died just hours after eating a decadent meal consisting of foie gras and fried prawns, accompanied by Pina Colada cocktails with extra rum.

The reports claimed that the American actor had "guzzled at least eight drinks" during his final meal, at an outdoor restaurant attached to the Boscolo Exedra Hotel, where he was staying in the Italian capital.

That was a fabrication, said Michael Kobold, a friend of the family who knew Gandolfini for more than a decade and regarded him as a big brother.

"I knew James well and I can tell you, he hates foie gras," Mr Kobold told The Daily Telegraph. "And in the heat of summer, it is the last thing you would choose."

Francesca Caracciolo, the manager of the hotel, also denied the reports that the actor had gorged himself on fried food and a large quantity of alcohol.

At a press conference in the hotel where the TV star collapsed late on Wednesday, Mr Kobold dismissed the claims that Gandolfini had been drinking Pina Coladas laced with extra shots of rum on his last night alive.

"It's not his drink of choice and he certainly doesn't drink Pina Coladas in 40C heat. It's nonsense."

A check by The Daily Telegraph showed that neither foie gras nor Pina Coladas are on the menu at the restaurant where Gandolfini dined with Michael, his 13-year-old son, on Wednesday evening.

Mr Kobold, a businessman, who runs a company that makes watches for expeditions, including some led by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the British explorer, said an autopsy had shown that Gandolfini died of a heart attack.

"There was nothing out of the ordinary. It was a heart attack. It was a natural cause. There was no foul play. There was no substance abuse."

Asked if the actor, acclaimed for his role as mafia boss Tony Soprano, had any heart problems, he said: "No, Jim was happy. He was healthy, he was doing really fine."